Line by Line 12-30-2020
#WritingCommunity,
You are invited to #LineByLineTime, A Mini Critique Hour hosted by @graestonewriter on Twitter.
In the movie Gore Vidal’s Lincoln, the president “runs the lines” of The Gettysburg Address with his aides, saying, “I have a short short short speech, which I will try out on the chickens, as the farmer said.”
(Marvelous, powerful movie that has haunted me all these years.)
Each week #LineByLineTime writers share lines from their WIPs. (Try it out on the chickens, as the farmer said.)
There will be a focus question during the hour, a chance to share, and a time for “best in show.”
Next Time: The Bad Guy (Or?) Enters
Wednesday, December 30th, at 9:00 PM Eastern, we share That moment when the antagonist enters. It may be with a high crushing action or a subtle slide.
I am using Betsy Byars’ Good-bye, Chicken Little, and The Cybil War for our Line-By-Line exercises. Byars wrote MG books for years, won prestigious awards, and knew her stuff. Betsy passed away on February 26, 2020.
The Cybil War is the world’s greatest kid’s book about love in the fifth grade. Tony doesn’t set out to be an enemy, but this piece of history will explain. Notice that when Byars does a flashback, it is a scene, not a telling.
“You don’t have a father?” Tony asked after school. He had waited at the door to ask this, his long face intent.
“I have one,” Simon said carefully, “but he’s gone.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“I had one but he’s dead.”
“Oh.”
And thus sealed together by a mutual loss rather than mutual interest, their friendship had begun. They walked together to Tony’s house.
(Byars, Betsy. The Cybil War (p. 30). Penguin Young Readers Group. Kindle Edition.)
I hope you will join us Wednesdays for #LineByLineTime.
Feel free to make helpful suggestions about other lines the group might explore in the future.